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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Payne's Grey Puddles

Yesterday kayork said:Love the blue and white china, and the washy freedom of the background (well, and the looseness of the foreground, too, actually!)So class, I thought, time for another watercolor lecon - laying down "blooming" blue washes.First I checked out the blue colors I made myself...Then I made test swatches of some of the blues in my paintbox...OK Time to dive in - First lay down a nice fat pool of clear water where you're going to "drop" your paint...Next drop in the Paynes Grey and let her run! Payne's Grey is a blueish dark grey color made by mixing a blue and a black together, typically ultramarine and bone black. Sometimes a touch of red is added to the mix.Payne's Grey is a color your teacher will tell you to leave alone. But it's also a color that loves to race around like mad in a nice puddle of water.With a bit of gravity (i.e. tilt your boards class!) Payne's Grey will take off like a bat out of hell, mainly because it's mixture of pigment particles are small and they love running! Just like obsessed joggers. Larger particled pigments like earth colors ( ex. Yellow Ochre) will tend to just sit there like bumps on a log...You can always go back into a Payne's Grey wash with droplets of clear water to see some more locomotion. Often called bleeds, blossoms, cauliflowers or "happy accidents" - this is that unpredictable element of risk that both terrifies and pleases watercolor painters. Basically you give the reigns of control over to the paint, sit back and watch, with just a little bit of guidence. It's called "watching paint dry". Anyone can do it. You don't have to be Matisse to drop water on paper and then throw in some paint.Please begin class!BONNE JOURNEE

Most INSPIRING!I've always felt doing a nice and lush, wet and juicy watercolor is like rideing a thoroughbred horse around a track. At a certain point, you must give it its' head, hang on for the ride, and if you're still on top of it at the end of the race, consider yourself LUCKY!BEAUTIFUL AS ALWAYS, CAROL!

You have inspired me to take out my Payne's Gray and play. I think I was saving it, since, as a beginner, I've tried to limit my pallette and learn to mix colors...but one cannot remain a beginner forever...sigh.

I live in São Vicente, SP, Brazil. I am a fan of your website and visit it almost everyday. I can only dream about going back one day and your blog just brings me that unique Parisian atmosphere which I love so much ( and who doesn´t, right?)

Congratulations on your art (amazing!!) and blog(fantastic!!!) and please keep the good work, I so much depend on it to make me smile each morning.

One of the reasons I like your posting. They are always positive and somewhat fanciful for those who do not get to Paris bakeries very often. Living with a bit of vicarious fun can be healthy. I love knowing you are able to have a life that seems to make you happy and fulfill you.

I do quite a bit of mentoring of artists getting into the business of their field, and you are a good role model. Everyone has to decide what his/her dream is, and it doesn’t HAVE to be narrowly defined to equal success.

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Paris, Ile de France, France

I moved to Paris 2 years ago. I should have done it sooner but that's how the macaron crumbles. Living on the Ile Saint Louis next to the Seine after the 19eme is 'la cerise sur la gâteau'. It doesn't get any better. I've painted watercolors for Bocuse, Champagne Mumm, Guerlain, Frederick Cassel, The Russian Tearoom and the Maharana of Udaipur.
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